1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to online checking-in for international flights and, more particularly, to the use of electronically stored travel document information to expedite the check-in process.
2. Brief Description of Related Technology
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventor, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
As smartphones with high resolution displays have become more and more popular, airlines have begun providing electronic boarding passes for travelers to use in lieu of printed boarding passes. In addition to saving paper, these electronic boarding passes enable a tech savvy traveler to avoid having to wait in a line to receive a printed boarding from airline personnel or an airline kiosk and minimize the amount of items he or she must carry to travel. The electronic boarding passes may completely replace the printed boarding passes, allowing travelers to pass through security and board the airplane by having security or airline personal scan an icon (typically a two dimensional barcode) on the display of the smartphone to authenticate the electronic boarding pass.
However, electronic boarding passes for international flights present challenges. If an airline transports a person without proper travel documentation across an international border, the airline may be forced to transport that person back to his or her country of origin and pay a fine to the US government or a foreign government. In particular, if the airline neglects to verify the person's travel documents either visually and/or electronically, the airline may be fined. Accordingly, in the past electronic boarding passes have been impractical because the traveler would still have to present his or her travel documents to airline personnel or an airline kiosk for verification.